Strange Quirks of Love
by Bunnygoesbang
Summary: As they grow up they can't help but notice and ponder over the strange quirks of their parents, Peeta Mellark and Katniss Everdeen.


**An Hi! I realised that I should update my other stories instead of posting a new one but Hunger Games are just too awesome that I got addicted! XD Peeta X Katniss is just the cutest pairing in the whole book that I already started fangirling at the end of book 1. :D This was just an idea which stuck in my head after reading mockingjay like "wouldn't their children wonder? Hmmm..." and thats the origin of this. :) **

**Disclaimer : I don't own Hunger Games or any of the characters.**

**Enjoy!**

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><p>Staring at the dark ceiling above him a little boy couldn't help but wonder about an event that transpired earlier that day. Trying to repel these questions away to get a good night's sleep, he tossed and turned on his bed but to no avail as the questions haunted him to no end. It was no good; he could not come up with a decent answer. Turning to the left, his grey eyes met with blue ones-signaling that his sister was awake as well. Maybe his sister could help? Inhaling a deep breath the boy spoke.<p>

"Why did mother and father act that way?"

Taken aback by the abrupt question from her brother caused her eyes to widen for a moment before it narrowed to ponder on the question.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean why did father suddenly zone out in the lake and started to call mother a mutt?"

As he spoke, the boy recalled the event where they were sitting on the soft grass surrounding the lake and enjoying nature before his father just stood up, lunged at his mother and started calling her a mutt, claiming that she was out to kill him. Although his mother was able to calm by assuring him that it wasn't real and his father was apologizing profusely, saying something about real and not real, he could not forget the emotions swirling in his father's eyes.

The rage and hate in his eyes were so intense that it scared him whenever it popped up in his mind.

What happened to his sweet and kind father that would never raise his voice towards his mother?

"I am not sure too but…this happened once as well, before you were born." His sister spoke in reply. Closing her eyes, she recalled that incident.

It was a normal morning and she was just spreading the jam over her bread as usual when she accidentally cut her hand with the knife. It was a small cut, nothing major but the moment her father came into the kitchen and saw the fresh crimson blood oozing out from the tiny wound, he snapped. Her mother rushed into the kitchen hearing the commotion and bravely approached her father despite the knife that was swinging wildly in his hands and all the insults thrown at her in order to give him a kiss and stay by his side till he was back to normal again.

The event had cut her so deep that she never dared to use the knife again, afraid of a repetition as she too could not forget the look on her parent's face that day.

Hate and sorrow.

Reaching this point, the girl's thoughts drifted towards her mother.

Her mother, was a strong and solid with determination which burned as fiercely as fire. Maybe that was why her father teased her by calling her "the girl on fire" but that was not what bothered her now. What bothered her was whenever they went to town.

"I wonder why people look at mother the way they do…"

Clearly puzzled, the little boy tilted and let out an intelligent "huh?" in reply.

"Whenever we go out as a family, anywhere, I noticed that people would always stare at mother with a mixture of respect, admiration and pity. Some would even come up to her and give her a friendly pat before departing with a sad smile which was replied with an exact same smile from mother."

It was true, the boy knew it too.

He tried ignoring the gazes but he could never deny them. He couldn't even go to the bakery with mother without someone talking or looking at his mother. At times, his father would shield her away but the defense wasn't strong enough and mother would start to tremble when she knew no one was around and his father would wrap his arms protectively over her like a knight in shining amour, saving her.

He wasn't an idiot.

He saw all of those.

He also knew what happened at certain nights. Something that his sister's, being a deep sleeper, never did.

On certain days every year, his mother would start trashing and screaming at the top of her lungs at night and both his parents would have a dead and tired look on their face the next day. He peeked into their room once when it happened only to find his mother sobbing pitifully into his father's chest, muttering names he never heard of. His father would whisper gently into her ear until she falls asleep in his arms and would prepare a special book for her to look through in the morning.

They both noticed all these strange quirks of their parents and they both knew to never question them. It was like a taboo, an unwritten rule restraining them from doing so.

Being unable to answer her brother's question made her feel frustrated but there was something she needed her brother to be aware of above everything else. A small smile plastered onto her face on the thought of her question and she posed it out to her brother.

"Despite all their strange quirks, mother and father are the best parents and the most loving couple alive. Real or not real?"

Sensing the meaning behind the question, a small smile found a way to his face and he answered before letting the promise of a good sleep embrace him. After all, these were just their parent's strange quirks of love.

"Real."

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><p><strong>An Hope you enjoyed this and the awesome Peeta X Katniss pairing! Remember to review as review = happiness~~ (to me) constructive feedback would be appreciated as well ^^<strong>


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